I know this subject has been covered before, many times, but I'm afraid I didn't pay as much attention as I should have, because I THOUGHT our pens were predator proof. WRONG!!!

So, night before last, a coon got into one of our pens and attacked my 6 1/2 month old Buff Rock Rooster, Harry-that-I-call-Henry. We heard the ruckus at 1:30 in the morning. My DH screamed out the window and we FLEW down to the pens. There poor HtIcH was, lying on his back, flopping all over the place. I thought we were too late.

He lost a LOT of blood. My shirt looked like I had been shot in the chest at point blank range. He was screaming the most awful scream I've ever heard.

We finally got the blood flow stopped. BTW, in case someone doesn't know, cobwebs will stop blood flow when nothing else will. I collect mine and save them in a cabinet for just such a time as this was.

He has 6 small bite wounds. (My DH thinks the coon might have been a small one. He got hold of more than he bargained for when he got a hold of poor Harry/Henry). We covered him with Povidone Iodine to ward off infection.

Now his head is quite swollen in the area where his ears are. He doesn't hold his head up. His beak sorta rests on his chest. He can stand, but I don't think he is eating or drinking on his own yet.

My questions are: (1) Could he have sustained neorological damage that will keep him from ever eating or drinking on his own? and (2) I am dripping water into his beak from a dropper, but how much should I be giving him each day? When should I start trying to force-feed him (if he doesn't start on his own)??

When we first started with chickens 10 years ago, a coon got into our hen house. (Why I thought our pens were predator-proof. They have been all these years until now). He bit one of our hens behind the head (trying to debrain her). She survived. Her head was swollen about two times as much as Harry/Henry's. She couldn't see out of her eyes at all. Her head was black and blue. She truly looked like a battered woman. If I remember correctly (and I may not), she didn't eat or drink right away either. But she healed just fine. (We named her Miracle after that).

I am soooooooooooooo HOPING that Harry-that-I-call-Henry will be ok. He is a big, strong, BEAUTIFUL roo. Please keep him in your prayers.

Ooh yes, and as much water as he'll willingly accept from you. He needs water more than food for now... you could try some very thin gruel of warm water and chicken feed in a day or so, but definately water if he'll take it without resisting.

Speckledhen, to be so smart, I'm REALLY ignorant. Is the only way to give penicillin to a chicken by injection??? Do they have oral penicillin?? I'm scared to death of trying to give anyone a shot!!

And PortageGirl, thanks for the encouragement about the water. I was afraid of giving him too much. He has no way to let me know he's had enough. I'm just dripping a few drops at a time in the front of his beak. Then I let him smack his beak together several times like they do when they're drinking. Then I give him some more. But I don't know when he's had enough. Do you know how much a large breed roo drinks on average in a day??

I'm soooooo HOPING that when the swelling goes down in his head, he'll be able to drink and eat on his own. He's such a good roo.

They have oral Pennacilin although, I don't know about getting it without a 'script.

I used to have oral Amoxacilin in my fridge that was prescribed to my cat, but of course these things expire after a while. I thought it was funny that my Vet sold me pink bubble gum flavored meds for a cat. The package said "for animals only" but I assume that it's really all manufactured at the same place because why else would it be bubble gum flavor????

And if I butchered the spelling of the meds Well, you know what I meant to spell!!

So sad - I hope Harry-that-you-call-Henry will recover. Electrolytes for shock (in a pinch a bit of pedialtye mixed with the water), Rescue Remedy for stress (a drop or so in water but I would do separately from the electroltyes). Keep him warm and comfortable so he doesn't have to use energy for other than getting through this.

Too soon for this because of all the bleeding, and in case there's internal bleeding still, but eventually aspirin in his water may help with pain and encourage eating/drinking. Wait on this for the moment and revisit the idea a little later if he is seeming in pain/depressed/not eating-drinking.

As others said, food is not as important as hydration right now. If he doesn't eat for a couple of days that is not a big worry. I once had an injured roo that did not eat for nearly 7 days and he made a full recovery (not recommending that of course but..).

I'm hoping for your roo's recovery also. I lost a RIR rooster to a coon last July. The coon chewed all of his comb and most of his beak off, so he couldn't eat. I did try to nurse him for about a week, but he was too badly injured. I now have two buff rock roos and they're gorgeous; hope your guy makes it.